RE: all time worst question I have been ever asked as a DBA

Conversation between Ops Support guy (recently outsourced) and a DBA who is being woken up in the middle of the night.

Ops Support: Database xxx doesn't respond. can you take a look?
DBA: Do you see any errors or queries doesn't respond?
Ops Support: Earlier there were a few alarms generated, we took care of it. After sometime db doesn't respond.
DBA: What alarms were they?
Ops Support: Alarms for free space. We took care of it before it filled up.
DBA: What did you do?
Ops Support: We compressed a few files.
DBA: What files did you compress?
Ops Support: We compressed a few large files under /u03/oradata/xxx and /u04/oradata/xxx
DBA: Oh S**t.

PS: We ended up doing a PITR.

-Upendra

> Date: Thu, 28 Jul 2011 22:00:13 -0600
> Subject: Re: all time worst question I have been ever asked as a DBA
> From: kellyn.potvin_at_ymail.com
> To: pythianbrinsmead_at_gmail.com; Marco.Gralike_at_amis.nl
> CC: Chris.Stephens_at_adm.com; andrew.kerber_at_gmail.com; oracle-l_at_freelists.org
>
> Mark,
> Are you telling us you had valuable information and held back?? (Said with a Southern Bell lilt) Well I jus never heard of such a thang! :)
> Kellyn(aka Skippy)
>
> Mark Brinsmead <pythianbrinsmead_at_gmail.com> wrote:
>
> >I sat through the OCP Oracle 11g course a few months back, and noted that
> >they do, indeed, still tell you to name your redo logs with ".LOG".
> >
> >I nearly interrupted the instructor to mention that this is an unsafe
> >practice (having seen a number or databases trashed by some do-gooder
> >"deleting some huge log files" in response to a filesystem storage page).
> >Then I remembered that the purpose of the course is to teach people how to
> >pass the exam, not how to be a DBA.
> >
> >If it comes up on the exam, you will undoubtedly be expected to say that
> >".LOG" is the best extension to use for online redolog members.
> >
> >*sigh*
> >
> >
> >On Wed, Jul 27, 2011 at 1:26 PM, Marco Gralike <Marco.Gralike_at_amis.nl>wrote:
> >
> >> BTW
> >>
> >> I also never use those file extensions anymore, but then again DBCA still
> >> has that practice and I would not be surprised if it turned up in OCP
> >> manuals etc.
> >> I once created an enhancement request saying that "this new APEX *core*directory, regarding naming is probably not a good idea to implement".
> >> They didn't get the point, or I didn't got my point across, that old unix
> >> admin methods / people (maybe still also on linux nowadays) have a practice
> >> to delete from time to time *core* files and *core* directories on their
> >> filesystems…
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> From: "Stephens, Chris" <Chris.Stephens_at_adm.com>
> >> Date: Wed, 27 Jul 2011 17:02:52 +0200
> >> To: Marco Gralike <marco.gralike_at_amis.nl>, "andrew.kerber_at_gmail.com" <
> >> andrew.kerber_at_gmail.com>, Oracle-L <oracle-l_at_freelists.org>
> >>
> >> Subject: RE: all time worst question I have been ever asked as a DBA
> >>
> >> Which is the #1 reason I no longer allow redo logs to end in ‘.log’! J****
> >>
> >> ** **
> >>
> >> I have that as a check implemented in a procedure that runs each night to
> >> ensure every database in our environment complies with a few standards that
> >> I don’t consider to be debatable.****
> >>
> >> ** **
> >>
> >> *From:* oracle-l-bounce_at_freelists.org [
> >> mailto:oracle-l-bounce_at_freelists.org <oracle-l-bounce_at_freelists.org>] *On
> >> Behalf Of *Marco Gralike
> >> *Sent:* Wednesday, July 27, 2011 9:57 AM
> >> *To:* andrew.kerber_at_gmail.com; ORACLE-L﻿﻿﻿﻿
> >> *Subject:* RE: all time worst question I have been ever asked as a DBA****
> >>
> >> ** **
> >>
> >> Be happy that he asked. Sometimes they just delete log files because they
> >> need the space.****
> >> ------------------------------
> >>
> >> *Van:*oracle-l-bounce_at_freelists.org [oracle-l-bounce_at_freelists.org] namens
> >> Andrew Kerber [andrew.kerber_at_gmail.com]
> >> *Verzonden:* dinsdag 26 juli 2011 21:38
> >> *Aan:* ORACLE-L﻿﻿﻿﻿
> >> *Onderwerp:* all time worst question I have been ever asked as a DBA****
> >>
> >> So, I am getting this error on one of our virtual Linux servers:
> >>
> >> ORA-00210: cannot open the specified control file
> >> ORA-00202: control file: '/u01/app/oracle/datafiles/devdb/control01.ctl'
> >> ORA-27086: unable to lock file - already in use
> >>
> >> Its probably due to a stale NFS lock. The question from my sys admin:****
> >>
> >> -rw-r----- 1 oracle oinstall 10076160 Jul 22 13:33 control01.ctl****
> >>
> >> can that file just be removed****
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> Ok, I am a little frustrated with him...
> >>
> >> --
> >> Andrew W. Kerber
> >>
> >> 'If at first you dont succeed, dont take up skydiving.'****
> >>
> >> CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE:
> >> This message is intended for the use of the individual or entity to which
> >> it is addressed and may contain information that is privileged, confidential
> >> and exempt from disclosure under applicable law. If the reader of this
> >> message is not the intended recipient or the employee or agent responsible
> >> for delivering this message to the intended recipient, you are hereby
> >> notified that any dissemination, distribution or copying of this
> >> communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received this
> >> communication in error, please notify us immediately by email reply.
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >
> >
> >--
> >Cheers,
> >-- Mark Brinsmead
> > Senior DBA,
> > The Pythian Group
> > http://www.pythian.com/blogs
> ��i��0���zX���+��n��{�+i�^